Henriette DeLille facts for kids
Quick facts for kids VenerableHenriette Díaz DeLille S.S.F. |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Foundress | |
| Born | March 11, 1813 New Orleans, Louisiana, United States |
| Died | November 16, 1862 (aged 49) New Orleans, Louisiana, United States |
| Venerated in | Catholic Church |
| Patronage | Racial equality, Gender equality, Social equality, Educational equity, Health equity, Equanimity |
Henriette Díaz DeLille (born March 11, 1813 – died November 16, 1862) was a Catholic nun from New Orleans, Louisiana. She was a "Creole of Color," meaning she had mixed European and African ancestry. Her father was French, her mother was part African American, and her grandfather was Spanish.
Henriette founded the Sisters of the Holy Family in 1836. This group of nuns was created to help those in need. She became their first leader, known as Mother Superior. The Sisters of the Holy Family are one of the oldest groups of African-American nuns still active today.
In 1988, the Catholic Church began the process to make Henriette DeLille a saint. In 2010, Pope Benedict XVI declared her "Venerable." This means she lived a life of great virtue.
Contents
Biography
Early life
Henriette DeLille was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on March 11, 1813. Her mother, Marie-Josèphe "Pouponne" Díaz, was a free woman of color. Her father, Jean-Baptiste Lille Sarpy, was from France. They had a common-law marriage, which was a type of unofficial union common at the time. Henriette grew up in the French Quarter of New Orleans, near St. Louis Cathedral.
Henriette's mother taught her French literature, music, and dancing. She also learned nursing skills and how to make medicines from herbs. Her mother wanted Henriette to find a wealthy white partner through a system called plaçage. This was a common practice where young mixed-race women would form relationships with white men.
However, Henriette was deeply religious and did not want to follow this path. She believed the plaçage system went against the Catholic teaching of marriage.
Henriette was inspired by Sister Marthe Fontier, who ran a school for girls of color. In 1827, at age 14, Henriette began teaching at a local Catholic school. She became more and more dedicated to helping and educating the poor. This caused some disagreements with her mother. Henriette was confirmed in the Catholic Church in 1834.
Sisters of the Holy Family
Founding the Order
In 1835, Henriette's mother became ill. Henriette took control of her mother's money. After making sure her mother was cared for, Henriette sold all her own property.
In 1836, she used this money to start a small group of nuns called the Sisters of the Presentation. Henriette and seven other young Creole women, along with one French woman, were the first members. They helped the sick, cared for the poor, and taught children and adults, both free and enslaved. They also opened America's first Catholic home for the elderly by taking in older women who needed care.
Facing Challenges
Henriette faced challenges, even from her own family. Her brother, Jean, did not support her work. He could "pass for white," meaning he looked white enough that people didn't know he had African ancestry. He worried that his sister's work with the Creole community would reveal his family's mixed heritage to his white friends. He moved away from Henriette with his family.
Henriette also faced opposition from the public and even from some in the church. At that time, racism was common, and many did not believe Black women should be nuns or wear the special clothing (habits) that nuns wore. Because of these prejudices, Henriette could not join an existing group of nuns. When she started her own order, the local Bishop, Antoine Blanc, did not allow them to wear habits. He also made them take private vows instead of public ones. This meant there was some debate about whether Henriette was fully recognized as a religious sister during her lifetime. She was never able to publicly wear the order's habit.
Official Recognition
In 1837, the order's advisor, Etienne Rousselon, helped the new group gain official recognition from the Holy See, which is the central government of the Catholic Church. Henriette DeLille became the leader of the order, known as the Mother Superior. She was the second African-American woman to hold such a position.
Henriette took the religious name Sister Mary Theresa, but everyone continued to call her Mother Henriette. In 1842, the group changed its name to the Sisters of the Holy Family.
Death
Henriette DeLille died on November 16, 1862, at the age of 49. This was during the American Civil War, when New Orleans was controlled by Union troops. Her friends believed she died from a life of hard work, poverty, and service to others. In her will, she freed a slave named Betsy whom she owned.
Legacy
When Henriette DeLille died, her order had 12 members. The sisters became well-known for caring for the sick and dying during the yellow fever epidemics that hit New Orleans in 1853 and 1897.
By 1909, the Sisters of the Holy Family had grown to 150 members. They ran Catholic schools in New Orleans that taught 1,300 students. During this time, many African Americans in Louisiana were prevented from voting, and public places, including schools, were legally separated by race. By 1950, the order had reached its largest size with 400 members.
Today, the Sisters of the Holy Family continue to serve the poor. They run free schools for children, nursing homes, and retirement homes in New Orleans, Shreveport, Louisiana, Washington, D.C., Galveston, Texas, Little Rock, Arkansas, and California. They also have a mission in Belize.
In 2011, the city of New Orleans named a street after Henriette DeLille. In the same year, the Archbishop of New Orleans, Gregory Michael Aymond, started a special "Family Prayer" that ends with a prayer in her name. This prayer is said at every Sunday Mass in the archdiocese.
Cause for Sainthood
In 1988, Henriette's order officially began the process for her to become a saint with the Holy See. She was given the title of Servant of God by the Pope. This was the first time an African American had reached this stage in the sainthood process. In 1997, Catholic bishops in the United States fully supported her cause.
On March 27, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI approved her "heroic virtues" and named her Venerable. This means the Church recognized that she lived a life of great holiness. For her to be declared "Blessed" (the next step before sainthood), a miracle attributed to her prayers needs to be confirmed by the Church. Investigations into possible miracles have been ongoing.
In popular media
- In 2001, the Lifetime television channel showed a movie about Henriette DeLille's life called The Courage to Love. It starred Vanessa L. Williams and Gil Bellows.
